HTC One (M8) “Ace” could have plastic body, lower price

The HTC One (M8) is easily the most premium of Android handsets, but could be seeing an iteration that takes away from its metal unibody construction. A plastic “M8 Ace” is said to be on the way, and will jettison the metal in favor of plastic. Additionally, the “Ace” is said to be much more affordable.

The new HTC device will sport nearly identical everything to the metal HTC One (M8), according to an Engadget source. Five inch screen, Snapdragon 801 — just about everything is the same, here. The difference, of course, is the plastic body, which has a few lasting effects. Most notably, it’s believed to severely drop the price of the device compared to the metal One (M8), a move from HTC to undercut Samsung sales. A plastic HTC One (M8) is essentially a Galaxy S5, with regard to hardware.

There is no solid word on pricing, so we don’t know just how mid-range this one will be. A seperate source claims the device will check in just under $500, which isn’t necessarily “mid-range.” For a subsidized device, it could bring the initial out-of-pocket cost down, though.

There isn’t much info floating around regarding final specs, and some have questioned whether or not the device would have the dual camera setup of the flagship One. We think a price drop as mentioned would warrant as much, but we’ll wait for something a bit more official before lauding or condemning this One.